Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable.

facts statistics persuasion

About Mark Twain

Portrait of Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He has been praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced", with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature". Twain's novels include...

More quotations from Mark Twain

There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.

The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot.

humanity wrong right

We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.

talent recognition

Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.

profanity prayer language

I can live for two months on a good compliment.

self-worth compliments self-image

More quotations tagged with “persuasion”

If you have to convince someone to stay with you, then they have already left.

—Shannon L. Alder

love relationships persuasion affection convincing

If you can't convince them, confuse them.

—Harry S. Truman

argument persuasion confusion

Simone Weil once said, "I would like to achieve the kind of radiance that can bring about nonviolently what other people might have to do violently." And, of course, we see teachers like that. We see parents like that, who have a kind of radiance so that they don't have to raise their voice; they don't have to beat their children.… They simply make a different atmosphere.

change parents nonviolence violence persuasion radiance yelling

History

1 Feb 2014 Added